Circulating means for automatic cookers or washers



May 19, 1953 A. F. ALBANO 2,638,767

CIRCULATING MEANS FOR AUTOMATIC COOKERS OR WASHERS Filed April 28, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENToR. kw/amm 'zfswa l mx May 19, 1953 A. F. ALBANO 2,638,757

CIRCULATING MEANS FOR AUTOMATIC cooKERs 0R wAsHERs Filed April 28, 1949 2 sheets-shew 2 INVENTOR. Haw/@Mya {Ha/Wvo BY MRM Y W70/iwf? Patented May 19, 1953 UNITE-m OFFICE cIRcULA'rING MEANS vFon nU'roMA'rlo `connaits 0R Wrisrmns' Alphonse l'aznk Albano, Poughkeepsie; NAI` Alpliation' April' 28, 1949;'Serial No; '90,058

2 claims;` (cl. ca -19s) The invention herein disclosed]relatesltoicooking` and Washing utensils` land* the fbre'adgf general objects'of the 'invention are to 'provide appa' ratus whichn will" automatically 'provide f 'the .turbulence and circulation' necessary or `desirable for' practical'cooking voivvvais'hixig purposes-r' Particular'obj ectsiof Ltheinvention "areto rprovide 'apparatus "of th character indicated `-which will be'of siniple constructlnfconsist of but `few parts notlik'ely to 'get outof orderfwhich'fwill `be wholly automaticin its opgeration'and 4Which :will be practical 'and' efficient 'inf every Wayl Special objects of the inventionA also` are to provide a construction'Which'ivhenfused-for cool:-` ing purposes"4 willffe'fctproper stirring* and "circulation "'of "the" more""'jor`less:'noneunii'orm;` part liquid" `and 'pa'rt"solig;1f v"contents"'an'i'"which will accomplish a desired;'substantiallyunifrrrrcool;d ing of the same andivhich'inaybe 'used over' long as Wellras short 'cooking'/perodswitliout danger of burning snep-contents;

Further special 'objects-ofthe'invention' are to prox/idea constructio'riwhilch' "may be vreadily assembled for"use" and' which'may4 be'quickly taken apart andeasllycleanedi Additional'ob'jects'lof th'invention *are'to provide a structure' accomplishing "all the" "above,

whichmay be produced atrelatively low co'st."

Further'objects'of th'iinvention are to provi-de a construction which twill automatically create a rotary or gyratory circulation as well f as or in addition to a vertical movement of contents and which may ,bequickly adjustedorsfset tov operate atA different levels iof liquid contents.

Other desirable objects attained' by th'elinven- `tion are `set forth `or willi-appear; in course i ors-the following specification The-drawings accompanymgzfanjd formingipart ofi.A the' specification illustrate*scertainfapresent commerciale.l embodiments of. the invention.

Structurephowever, `may be `modified andnohangeid las regards `.such illustrations; -allffwithin'i the itrue intent and broad `scope.ofstlii-iinvention as hereinafter defined and claimedf' Fi'glril in the drawings.'.isila` verticalvseet'onal view v'shc`ivving theapparatiis iioperating" as a cooker, as on substantially the plane of line I-I of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a top lplan view with cover removed;

Fig. 3 is a broken part vertical sectional view on a smaller scale showing the apparatus in use ras a clothes washer;

Fig. 4 is a broken vertical sectional detail showing a rotatably adjustable valve construction for different liquid levels;

Fig`."5 isa horizontal sectionaliviewasfon.line 5 L5lf Fig. 4;.:

. Fig. p6 is a plan vievs7 `ofthe parts appearing; in Fig. 4rA i i i Fig.- 'lis a broken-part sectional -detail 'of' a furthermodiiicationjofthe washeh' Asshowr`r"particularly 'n" Figs. l and 3, the apparatus `'comprises in connection with a f,pot or'boiler 'Lia steam'orfpresSui-e'dome il ha'vinga riser 9 anda vfloatoperated relief valve Il)v conf trinng communication between the interior of the' Lriser and the-surrounding contents` of the pot. i

For simplicity, the-"float Valve lisshown' as ma'deupi'by' theinnereannu-lar` wall of a doughnut'lform'j of annular-float Il 'surrounding and sliding'over therrisen 9 to' vclose' or to 'open 'up one or more ofthereliefopenings I2`l in the si-de of: the' riser;

This'formfof float valve is 'simple and ldirect and 'quickly' 'and AeasilyL ta-ken apart for cleaning or other purposes; The' pressure idorner' lis' shown i asy supported on the bottom of ftheL-'ipotand as' fheld i down solidly in that positionibyfhaving three equidistantlyseparated"ilange sections' l3fof substantially' "the 'full interior diameter Aof the 'pot and forming feet" Whichwby relative rotation over the 'pot bottom, can 'be--engagedbeneath Vlugs il' Shown' as integrali projections" struck inward from the sidewall of the-pot, justv'above the bottom*l Tiiesidesp the define are l'shownicut away at 1.5' between'the'"supporting-feedto provide free flow "passages betvveen'tlie-insidelof' the dome andthe surrounding pots" f i i The .pot may usually -beprovided-Witha suit-'- Iable;coversuch asthat'indicated atl Hi]V "operatio'nfwiththe vpoiflled to an extent Wherethe 'flofat Avvillfclose the vvalve opening vor openings l2""ir`i"thevriser or 'colurnn=9`, pressure will' developjwithiri the 'tio'rne and riseras steam is generated through .applicationof heat `to the pot"bott`o`rn. Such pressure' 'Will""eventua1ly "be ,effective to ,jf orce liquid contents within the dome outwardlylinto the `pot "by W'aypf the 'passages beneath i the. edge. v0i 'the dome at I 5,' producing arise inlevelof -thepot contents, as indicated by broken line IlfFi'g. l."

This rise in liquid level lifts the float Il, uncovering valve openings i2 to relieve pressure within the dome, and this release of pressure permits the liquid level to drop, lowering the float to again close off the relief openings l2.

Consequently the apparatus only needs to be placed on the stove or other heat supply with 3 contents supporting the oat valve in closed position. Then, as soon as pressure is created through development of steam within the contents confined in the dome, the liquid will be intermittently raised and lowered, owing back and forth between the dome and pot at a more or less uniform and rapid or slow rate, dependent upon the amountl of applied heat. This circulation stirs andmixes the contents, creates movement preventing contents sticking to the pot walls and thus keeps contents from burning, even over long applied periods of cooking. The circulation may be timed and made more','or less vigorous by applying more intense heat for faster flow at shorter intervals, or less heat for more moderate flow at longer intervals, and such rates may be varied while cookingis in progress, to suit the circumstances.

Circulation may be rendered more effective, particularly for mixing purposes, by providing vanes such as shown at I8, in the `top of the dome, curved in spiral form to impart rotation to the upward and downward surging liquid.

These vanes are shown as created by U-shaped cross sectional depressions formed in the top of the dome. This construction provides grooves in the upper surface of the dome for imparting rotative effect to the contents flowing over the upper surface of the dome. These integrally formed ribs also stiffen and reinforce the dome, enabling the same to be formed out of relatively light sheet metal.

While particularly effective as an automatic cooker, the same apparatus may be used as a washer, as shown in Fig. 3, by simply applying a screen i9 to the riser to hold the clothes down in the spaceabove and surrounding the dome.

This hold-down screen may be secured in ad- These cups may be set a slight distance above the normal liquid level so that as the clothes rise with the upward ow of water, they will be pressed against and into the cups with a desirable pressing, squeezing and swishing operation.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus of the character disclosed comprising a pot, a dome,v means for removably securing said dome in said pot with free communication beneath the lower edge of said dome and the interior of said pot, a riser carried by said dome closed at the top and having a valve opening in the side of the same and a float guided justed relation below the float, as by means of a set screw 20 in the central collar 2| of the screen for engagement with the riser 9.

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 show a form of valve construction for locating the vent openings in the riser at different effective levels.

In Fig. 4 the riser 9 is shown as havingl vent openings [2a. and 12b at two diiferent levels,'and a sleeve 22 isshown rotatably engaged over the riser having one set of openings 12cmy to register with the upper riser openings |2a, and a second set. of openings I Zbb to register with the lower set of `ri-ser openings `|212 when the sleeve is turned to. different positions such as indicated by the markings 23, Fig. 6., on the top of the riser. In this view the sleeve is shown as having an' index 24 to register with one or the other of the markings 23, thus-to. set the riser relief openings at the two diierent liquid. levels,` the iloat in this ease riding over the valve tube 22 to cooperate with, the selected set of relief openings.

rIhe construction forI both cooking and wash# ing purposes is relatively simple and inexpensive, easily assembled and taken apart and easily cleaned.

In Fig. 7 a modification of the'clothes washer is illustrated, embodyinga series of cups 25 supported by radial arms 26 and a collar` 21 adjustably secured on the riser above the oat valve.

over said riser and arranged to open and close said valve opening in the movements of said float over lsaid riser, and clothes conning means ad- 'justably and removably secured on said riser at a different level and independently of said float and including washingcups supported for engagement bythe clothes. d

2. Apparatus for effecting circulation for cooking or washing purposes and comprising in combination, a pot, a dome secured in stationary relation in .said pot with free communication between interior of the dome and the interior of the pot, la riser carried by said dome and terminating at the top in a close, cylindrical, vertical column having a Valve opening in the side of the same below the closed top, an annular float slidingly guided over that portion of the column having the vale opening therein and free to rise above said valve opening to uncover the same upon rise of the liquid contents in the pot about the column thereby to relieve pressure trapped in the closed top portion of the column and permit flow fromA the. pot back into the dome, and said float arranged to close said valve opening upon lowering, with the fall of liquid passing back into the dome and whereby upon lowering of the oat with vfall of liquid in the pot,` the float will Cover the valve opening in the side of the closed column to permit accumulation of pressure in the closed column to drive liquid downward in the column and'back outward from the dome into the pot to again effect rise of liquid in the pot and valve'uncovering, lifting movement of the oat.

ALPHONSO FRANK ALBANO.

AReferences Cited in `the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 83,566 Sweetland' Oct. 27, 1868 149,137 Kolb Mar. 31, 1874 358,589 Bergenheim Mar. 1, 1887 387,605 Stoddart Aug. 7, 1888 1,552,464 Bowerbank Sept. 8, 1925 '1,570,136 Fisher Jan. 19, 1926 1,635,979 Saare July 12, 1927 1,646,022 Hagel Oct. 18, 1927 1,672,815 Kettler -June 5, 1928 FOREIGN PATENTS Number l Country Date 8,893 Australia Aug. 18, '1928 

